Stations: ?, Newtown Police Station

Service: From 12 July 1894 to 11 February 1806 = 11+ years

Awards: ?

Born: ? ? 1860

Died on: Sunday 11 February 1906

Cause: Shot – Murdered

Event location: King St, Newtown

Age: 41

Funeral date: Sunday 18 February 1906

Funeral location: St Enoch’s Presbyterian Church, Newtown

Buried at: Rookwood Cemetery

GPS of Grave:

[alert_green]JOHN IS mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_green]

The constable was shot at a dwelling in King Street, Newtown by the offender Tanna, who had been involved in a domestic dispute. Constable Wallace and Senior Constable Maunsell had attended the dispute and had climbed into the home through a window. Constable Wallace attempted to talk to the offender, who was armed with a rifle and a revolver, in the hallway. The offender suddenly raised the rifle and shot Constable Wallace twice. Tanna was later wounded by police, and committed suicide in the siege that followed.

The Australian Town and Country Journal of 21 February, 1906 carried details of the inquest into the constable’s murder, and the performance of the police involved.

THE NEWTOWN MURDER.

The inquest on the bodies of Constable John Wallace and Willie Yass, or Tanna, the victims of Sunday morning’s double tragedy at Newtown, was concluded at the Coroner’s Court, Sydney, on Wednesday. The Coroner said that from the evidence it seemed that the deceased Tanna was fired at by the police some ten, perhaps twelve, times in the course of the affray, but that he was only hit twice by the police, and that both wounds were superficial. The evidence also disclosed the fact that the cartridges were defective. Inspection had shown that. The Coroner said he mentioned that so that the authorities might, if they thought necessary, take action. He found that Constable John Wallace was wilfully murdered by Tanna, and that Tanna had committed suicide. “I think I may be permitted to add”, said the Coroner, “that the deceased, John Wallace, was a brave man and that he died while and because he was doing his duty. As to his comrades, without making any invidious distinction, I think I may also say that those of them who tried to rescue him, and to dislodge the man who murdered him, earned what most men prize very highly, and that is a reputation for physical bravery.”

The constable was born in 1860 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 12 July, 1894. At the time of his death he was stationed at Newtown.

Recently at Rookwood Cemetery I attended a memorial service to commemorate police officers from the Newtownlocal area command killed in the line of duty. The moving service was attended by Deputy Police Commissioner Nick Kaldis, Superintendent Simon Hardman, the commander of the Newtown Area Local Command, many other police representatives, and relatives and descendants of the police officers. Those attendees included Ms Avona Wallace, Mr and Mrs Norman Stephenson, Mrs Lynette Everton and Ms Edna Stevenson. Representatives from the emergency services and community members were also in attendance. The member for Campbelltown, Bryan Doyle, attended representing the Premier.

The five officers being remembered at the ceremony gave their lives to protect the community. They were Constable First Class John Wallace, Constable First Class Ruston Stephenson, Constable Lionel Guise, Detective Inspector Reginald Stevenson and Constable Pashalis Katsivelas. The ceremony to mark the sacrifice of these officers reflected on the enormity of their contribution to the community, as well as the impact of their death on their families. It is often said, and it is true, that police officers leave their homes for each shift uncertain of what any day may bring and whether they will return at the end of the day. We owe these men and women our deepest gratitude for the risks they face and take every day in their job. At Rookwood Cemetery we visited each of the graves of those officers who lost their lives in the line of duty and behind each individual was an illuminating life story.

We began at the grave of Constable First Class Ruston Stephenson, who died 80 years almost to the day of the commemoration. Constable Stephenson joined the Police Force in 1912, and four years later enlisted in the army, later joining the fight in France during the First World War. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry in rescuing injured soldiers while under fire. Remarkably, when he returned he rejoined the Police Force and continued to serve until his death on 9 April 1933 after a tragic accident involving a motorcycle at the then Newtown Stadium while performing general duties policing.

We were also told the story of Detective Inspector Reginald Hugh Stevenson — I was honoured on the day to meet his widow, Ms Edna Stevenson, who still had strong memories of the incident that led to Inspector Stevenson’s death. Detective Inspector Stevenson joined the NSW Police Force as a cadet in 1943 at the age of 17. In an act of extraordinary selflessness, Detective Inspector Stevenson was on annual leave on 9 December 1974 when he decided to go to work to assist in the planned arrest of a dangerous offender in Newtown, at the time telling his wife, “I don’t want my boys doing this on their own.” During the operation he was shot in the chest after leading his team in pursuit of the offender.

Detective Inspector Stevenson partially recovered and was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. However, he died in 1980 of a heart attack, deemed to be the result of the injuries he sustained on duty in 1974. These officers are just a few of many across New South Wales whose lives have been cut short as they have gone about performing their duty. I pay tribute to them all. They will not be forgotten and local events such as this are a powerful reminder of their sacrifice.

I also take this opportunity to acknowledge two Marrickville police officers, Sergeant Stewart and Constable Steele, who on Monday of this week rescued an intellectually disabled person from a house fire in Marrickville. Thankfully, those two officers who took huge risks survived and are quite rightly being hailed as heroes by their colleagues and the community. It is yet another example of the risk our police men and women take every day in order to keep the community safe. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to them.

[…] at the ceremony gave their lives to protect the community. They were Constable First Class John Wallace, Constable First Class Ruston Stephenson, Constable Lionel Guise, Detective Inspector Reginald […]

[…] at the ceremony gave their lives to protect the community. They were Constable First Class John Wallace, Constable First Class Ruston Stephenson, Constable Lionel Guise, Detective Inspector Reginald […]